Concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet

Abstract

A flat, rectangular, concealed wall-mounted locking cabinet which can be securely fastened through the outside surface of a wall and into supporting studs without requiring significant modification to the wall is described. The cabinet is completely concealed by a nesting cover that simultaneously functions as a picture frame or other artistic work. The cover and the door of the cabinet both may open in a downward manner, thereby permitting the cabinet to be made in a variety of sizes whereby handguns and long guns, such as shotguns and rifles, as well as other articles, may be accommodated.

1 . A concealed, wall-mounted cabinet comprising in combination:
 a flat rectangular cabinet for mounting in a vertical orientation on a mounting wall, comprising a back wall, a first wall and a second opposing wall, and a door rotatably attached to said first wall;   means for mounting said back wall of said cabinet against a flat, unrecessed surface of said mounting wall;   a cover comprising a front wall having an outside surface having a first chosen area, said cover being rotatably attached to said first wall of said cabinet, such that when said cover is rotated to a position covering said cabinet with said front wall of said cover disposed parallel to said back wall of said cabinet, said cover conceals said cabinet; and   means for reversibly holding said cover such that said front wall of said cover is parallel to said back wall of said cabinet.   
   
   
       2 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein said cover further comprises four walls forming a rectangular frame adapted to surround said cabinet between said front wall and said cabinet, said rectangular frame having a second chosen area. 
   
   
       3 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 2 , wherein the first chosen area is larger than the second chosen area. 
   
   
       4 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein said means for reversibly holding said cover such that said front wall thereof is parallel to said back wall of said cabinet comprises latching means for holding said cover to said second wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       5 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , further comprising retaining means for holding said cover in an approximately horizontal position when said front wall of said cover is rotated to an approximately perpendicular disposition to said back wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       6 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein the outside surface of said front wall of said cover is a solid ornamental panel. 
   
   
       7 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein said cover is adapted to hold flat artwork. 
   
   
       8 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , further including means for locking said door to said rectangular cabinet. 
   
   
       9 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 8 , wherein said locking means is adapted to lock said door to said second wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       10 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 1 , wherein said cover opens in a downward direction. 
   
   
       11 . A concealed, wall-mounted cabinet comprising in combination:
 a flat rectangular cabinet for mounting in a vertical orientation on a wall, comprising a back wall, an upper wall and a lower wall determining the depth of said cabinet, and a door rotatably attached to the lower wall of said cabinet such that said door opens downward;   means for mounting the back wall of said cabinet against a flat, unrecessed surface of a mounting wall;   a cover comprising a front wall having an outside surface having a first area, two side walls, an upper wall, and a lower wall, forming thereby a rectangular frame adapted to surround said cabinet and disposed between said front wall and said cabinet, said rectangular frame having a second chosen area, said rectangular cover being rotatably attached to said lower wall of said cabinet, such that when said cover is rotated upward over said cabinet with said front wall of said cover disposed parallel to said back wall of said cabinet, said cover conceals said cabinet; and   means for reversibly holding said cover to said upper wall of said cabinet when said front wall of said cover is parallel to said back wall of said cabinet.   
   
   
       12 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 11 , wherein said means for reversibly holding said cover to said upper wall of said cabinet such that said front wall thereof is parallel to said back wall of said cabinet comprises latching means. 
   
   
       13 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 11 , further comprising retaining means for holding said cover in an approximately horizontal position when said front wall of said cover is rotated to an approximately perpendicular disposition to said back wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       14 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 11 , wherein the outside surface of said front wall of said cover is a solid ornamental panel. 
   
   
       15 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 11 , wherein said cover is adapted to hold flat artwork. 
   
   
       16 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 11 , wherein the first chosen area is larger than the second chosen area. 
   
   
       17 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 11 , further comprising means for locking said door to said rectangular cabinet. 
   
   
       18 . The concealed, wall-mounted cabinet of  claim 17 , wherein said locking means is adapted to lock said door to said upper wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       19 . A concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet comprising in combination:
 a flat rectangular container comprising a back wall, two side walls, an upper wall, a lower wall having an outer edge, an inner edge and an exterior surface, forming a rectangular open container;   a rectangular door having an upper edge, and a lower edge rotatably attached in the vicinity of the lower edge thereof to the outer edge of said lower wall of said container, thereby forming a cabinet, wherein said door opens from the upper edge thereof, for mounting in a vertical orientation on a mounting wall;   means for locking said door to said cabinet to said upper wall of said cabinet;   means for mounting said back wall of said cabinet against a flat, unrecessed surface of said mounting wall;   a rectangular cover comprising a front wall having an outside surface having a first area, and a frame having a second area comprising two side walls, an upper wall, and a lower wall having an outer edge, adapted for fitting over said cabinet in a nesting manner such that when said front wall of said cover is rotated parallel to said back wall of said cabinet, said cabinet is hidden by said cover, said rectangular cover being rotatably attached to the exterior surface in the vicinity of the inner edge of said lower wall of said cabinet, wherein said cover rotates downward from said cabinet from said upper wall of said cabinet; and   means for reversibly holding said cover to said upper wall of said cabinet such that the front wall of said cover is parallel to said back wall of said cabinet.   
   
   
       20 . The concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet of  claim 19 , wherein said means for reversibly holding said cover such that said front wall thereof is parallel to said back wall of said cabinet comprises latching means. 
   
   
       21 . The concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet of  claim 19 , further comprising retaining means for holding said cover in an approximately horizontal position when said front wall of said cover is rotated to an approximately perpendicular disposition to said back wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       22 . The concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet of  claim 19 , wherein the outside surface of said front wall of said cover is a solid ornamental panel. 
   
   
       23 . The concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet of  claim 19 , wherein said front wall of said cover is adapted to hold flat artwork. 
   
   
       24 . The concealed, wall-mounted locking cabinet of  claim 19 , wherein the first area is larger than the second area.